Beach-Head II: The Dictator Strikes Back!
Platform: ZX Spectrum
Region: UK
Media: Tape
Controller: Kempston, Interface 2 (left), In
Genre: Shoot 'em Up - Action
Gametype: Undefined
Release Year: 1985
Developer: Platinum Productions
Publisher: US Gold Ltd
Players: 1 or 2 Alternating
_________________________

The Dictator from the first Beach Head game is back, but World War 2 is over. Giving himself a new name, "The Dragon", he seeks revenge against the victorious allied forces. To further these ends, he kidnaps hostages and brings them to his island fortress...

Controlling either the forces of the Allied Commander (J.P. Stryler) or the Dictator (The Dragon), you will have to perform objectives across four different sequences, each with different perspective and controls.

In Sequence 1 "Attack", the allies invade the dictators base with soldiers dropped from a helicopter. The allied forces must land their soldiers and then march them forwards taking cover at different walls. The dictator only has to shoot them down with a machine gun.

In Sequence 2 "Rescue", the hostages are being rescued. The player who controls the allies will use the machine gun to defend hostages as they cross the open courtyard. The dictator can deploy between four different weapons: Man on top of wall, Tank, Truck and Trap Door, only one of which is on the screen at any time.

In Sequence 3 "Escape", hostages are loaded onto the helicopters. The allied player will select how to place hostages on helicopters and then man the controls, avoiding attack. The dictator chooses the level of the automated defense and then aims his tanks at the helicopter. 

In the final sequence, "Battle", the allied commander and the dragon finally encounter one another deep underground. They will toss poontas (throwing knives) at each other until only one is left standing.


Trivia:

On January 14, 1986, Beach Head II was put on the infamous German index by the BPjS.

Note: Indexed products by the BPjS/BPjM are illegal to sell or make available to minors in Germany and it is illegal to advertise for it in any form. But there is absolutely no law forbidding any adult to buy such a product. The only exception is when a game was in addition also confiscated (or put on the so-called "List B" for BPjM games), but this is rather seldom the case. 

In this particularly case here, Beach Head II was just indexed, but not confiscated.

However, due to the fact that advertisement also means the presence of a product on the shelves of a store, the product will disappear from the public. But it can be bought in supporting stores "under the desk" (per request).

BPjS/BPjM = German Bundesprfstelle fr jugendgefhrdende Schriften/Medien = Federal Examination Office for Youth-Endangering Publications/Media.

